This recipe calls for thinly sliced pork chops to be cooked over high heat for a delicious meal in almost seconds. Pork can be quite lean these days, making it an ideal family preparation. Although this recipe is simple, the onions and wine, cooked until they are golden and spread over the golden brown pork chops, really add a lot of flavor.

[photo: Clifford A. Wright]

Yield: Makes 2 servings
Preparation Time: 12 minutes

2 tablespoons unsalted butter or extra-virgin olive oil

1 medium onion, thinly sliced

1 pound thinly cut pork chops (about six 1/4-inch thick slices)

Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

1/2 cup dry white wine

In a large skillet, melt the butter or heat the olive oil over high heat, then cook the onions until golden, stirring constantly, about 6 minutes. Add the pork chops, season with salt and pepper, and cook for 1 minute on each side then pour in the white wine. Once the wine evaporates serve immediately.

Just like what’s happening with barbecue and grilling books (and Italian cookbooks), publishers feel obliged to regularly come out with books covering the same subject over and over again. This is because it is difficult to keep books in print, and older books (with a few exceptions, like The Joy of Cooking) are simply not as marketable as newer books. That said, Wright’s collection of hot and spicy recipes from around the world [Some Like it Hot] is much like the dozens that have come before it. It is comprehensive and the recipes look like they are authentic and complete, with a lot of anecdotal information to delight the reader. ... Anyone who can write a chapter title like “Hot Chicks, Wicked Ducks, and Killer Rabbits” gets a pat on the back from me! - Dave DeWitt, author of The Chile Pepper Encyclopedia; Fiery-Foods.com